Wed Apr 19, 2006 at 04:49:17 PM EDT
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| Every time a new campaign finance corruption scandal pops up in the Republican House there is Representative Mike Ferguson is there taking money from lobbyists and corrupt politicians. This time it is mortgage lender Freddie Mac lobbyist Mitchell Delk doing the influencing by illegally throwing 85 fundraisers that put $1.7 million in the pockets of members of the House Financial Services Committee, averaging $20,000 a pop.
Mike Ferguson, then a freshman on Financial Services, was given two fundraisers worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000. Plus, another $750 in 2001 and 2002 from Delk and his wife themselves. Interestingly, $750 is exactly the cost of the restaurant Ferguson used for these fundraisers. Also interestingly, he never got billed for using those restaurants.
As a result of Delk and Freddie Mac illegally using corporate funds and employees to set up these fundraisers, the Federal Election Commission fined them $3.8 million -- the largest fine in FEC history. Public Citizen, which filed the complaint with the FEC, had this to say:
The amount of the fine indicates the magnitude of the violations. The complaint came in the wake of an alarming number of lavish fundraisers hosted by Freddie Mac’s lobbyist – nearly half of which directly benefited lawmakers responsible for overseeing Freddie Mac and mortgage lending practices.
The Republican Governor's Association (RGA) received $150,000 from Freddie Mac, an illegal contribution that the RGA later returned. By giving the money back, the RGA avoided being fined by the FEC. The estimated $40,000 Ferguson received as a result of illegal fundraising by Delk and Freddie Mac should share the same fate.
And don't think this is an isolated incident for Ferguson. This is not the first time he has been involved in FEC cases involving his election to the House and freshman term in 2001 and 2002, and it is likely not the last. |
| blue7thpac :: Another Lobbying Scandal, And Mike Ferguson Is in the Middle |
| In 2003, he was fined $210,000 by the FEC for illegally using more than $500,000 of his parent's money in the 2000 general election. That fine is the largest ever given out to a sitting member of the House.
In 2005, he was named in a case filed by Tom Kean Jr. -- now running for US Senate as a Republican -- for illegally coordinating mailings and influencing voters with the Council for Responsible Government during the 2000 primary. The FEC found that the Council and Ferguson's campaign were guilty, though Ferguson was not personally fined.
Those are just the FEC cases relating to 2000 - 2002. There's plenty more connections between Ferguson and lobbying and corruption scandals in Washington DC. Whether it is Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham or any other part of the Culture of Corruption, Ferguson turns up with his hand out and his campaign coffers filling.
- Accepted $54,403 over seven years from former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), indicted for money laundering and conspiracy to violate Texas campaign finance laws;
- Accepted $132,000 in 2001 from a Retaining Our Majority Program fundraiser coordinated by Jim Ellis, Tom DeLay's treasurer and co-defended for money laundering and conspiracy to violate Texas campaign finance laws;
- Accepted $3000 from Tony Rudy, who has been convicted of illegally influencing House members;
- Accepted $1000 in 2001 from Jack Abramoff, indicted for wire fraud and conspiracy in a case involving mob-style executions and floating casinos;
- Accepted $1000 in 2001 from Adam Kidan, indicted with Jack Abramoff for wire fraud and conspiracy;
- Accepted $7500 from Rep. Bob Ney, named a corrupted "Representative #1" in both the Abramof and Rudy guilty pleas;
- Accepted $3000 from Mark Vallente, a Steering Committee member for Tom DeLay's ARMPAC who threw a legal account fundraiser for indicted lobbyist Jim Ellis and serves as Ferguson's personal PAC treasurer;
- Accepted $25,000 from student loan companies owned by Ryan and Cary Katz and then voted to increase student loan interest rates;
- Accepted $1000 from convicted felon and resigned House member Randy "Duke" Cunningham, then donated the money to charity.
- Accepted $1000 from the the Kontogiannis family who are accused of bribing Rep Cunningham by overpaying by $400,000 for his boat.
Along with the $40,000 from Feddie Mac fundraisers, that's almost $270,000 in campaign cash connected to corrupt officials, convicted felons and illegal fundraising. So far Ferguson has given just $3,000 of it to charities.
Call him and suggest that he give it all back or to charity:
Warren, NJ: (908) 757-7835 (v) or (908) 757-7841 (f) or e-mail
Washington, DC: (202) 225-5361 (v) or (202) 225-9460 (f) or e-mail
Campaign Office: (732) 560-4700 (v) or (732) 560-4790 (f) or e-mail. . |
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